Column shower drain



Feb. 10', 11970 c. c. GERow ErAL 3,493,975

COLUMN SHOWRy DRAIN Filed nec. 21. 1966 Y 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS Clarence C. Gerow Daniel W. Lord y y Mario J. Russo datf/LJV6/Ma;'Mv

ATTORNEYS United States Patent i U.S. Cl. 4--145 3 Claims ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE Drain fitting for column shower has openings for drain, vent and supply piping. At least one of drain pipe and vent pipe extends vertically downward to facilitate connection to existing plumbing. Seepage collecting trough surrounds fitting and extends downwardly therefrom to collect seepage and channel in into drain fitting.

A drain for column showers comprising a floor-like base having a drain opening therein and a drain pipe below the base and a vent opening in the base with a vent pipe extending vertically downward from the base.

This application is a continuation-in-part of prior application filed Sept. 27, 1965, Ser. No. 490,460 which now has been abandoned.

A drain having a vent and supply fitting comprising a floor-like base having the vent pipe below the base extending downwardly and the drain pipe below the base also extending downwardly, at least one of which must extend vertically downward.

Column showers are commonly provided with drains at their base, which drains must be supplied with a trap and vent. Many modern plumbing codes forbid, what is known as crown venting, which is venting the drain system at a point too close to the weir of the trap. It is therefore necessary that the column shower drain be supplied with a vent separate and distinct from the trap. Some column showers have the water supply pipe connections made overhead, but it is much more desirable that the water supply connections be made from below the shower column.

U.S. Patent 1,582,548 issued to Schlesinger et al. Apr. 27, 1926 and Heine Patent 2,293,544, issued Aug. 18, 1942, are examples of this type of crown venting arrangement. Another patent disclosing a similarly unsatisfactory structure is the U.S. Patent to Mullet 1,821,229, issued Sept. 1, 1931.

The device shown in the Booker Patent 3,187,349, issued June 8, 1965, overcomes the objections to crown venting, but due to the fact that both the drain pipe and the vent pipe slope away from the vertical in opposite directions this requires the assembly of all of the drain and vent fittings, such as the elbow, the P type trap, the normal trap with the Y fitting, all connected to the drain line, before any of the joints may be permanently packed and leaded. This requires pre-assembly with the column shower and all of the fittings before any of the fixtures can be permanently placed. This is a distinct disadvantage in installation and is avoided by the devices herein described.

The column shower drain of the present invention comprises an upstanding boss to receive and hold the column shower and a floor-like base arrangement therearound having a drain opening, a vent opening and two supply openings therethrough. The vent pipe above the base extends centrally upward through the column shower to an appropriate opening in the building, the vent pipe below the base extends downwardly, while the drain pipe below the base also extends downwardly. At least one of these pipes 3,493,975 Patented Febplo, 1970 must extend vertically downwardly and the other must extend at an angle to the vertical.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a drain fitting by means of which drain vents and water supply connections are all made below the column shower drain.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a drain for column showers having a vent therein, which vent permits the use of Standard coupling into the drain line.

It is a further object of this invention that the overall depth of the drain and its associated fitting be held to a minimum so as to allow the mounting of the drain and the supply pipe and drain in the standard floor depth.

It is a still further object of this invention to provide a drain fitting having a seepage collecting trough therearound to prevent moisture from soaking through the floor.

It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a column shower drain assembly where the drain system is vented at a point remote from the trap weir.

It is another object of the column shower drain to provide vertically extending openings therethrough to permit the insertion of hot and cold water supply pipes to the shower manifold within the column shower.

The various features of novelty which characterize this invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this specification. For a better understanding of the invention, however, its advantages and specific objects obtained with its use, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which have been illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of the invention.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a side plan View showing a column shower mounted on the drain.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the relationship etween the supply pipe, the drain pipe, the column shower and the drain fitting.

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the drain.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view on line 4-4 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the relationship between the supply pipes, the drain pipe, the vent pipe, the column shower and the drain fittings of a modification of this invention.

FIG. 6 is a top plan View of the drain of this modification.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view on line 77 of FIG. 6.

The column shower 20 is mounted at its lower end 21 on the Lupper surface 22 of the drain fitting 23.

This drain fitting 23 comprises a first base portion 24, shown in FIG. 4, and has the drain opening 25 therein. The upstanding ring portion 26 surrounds the drain fitting and includes the opening 25 therein. The upper surface of this ring portion is machined and has the threaded openings 27 to receive and hold a second base portion 21 of the column shower 20. Also within the ring portion 26 is an upstanding boss 28 approximately in the center thereof having a vent 29 therein. Adjacent to the boss and on one side thereof are the openings 30 and 31 to allow the supply pipes to pass therethrough. The vent 29 is arranged over the center of the drain fitting and has the Vent conduit 32 attached thereto. This conduit slopes towards the marginal portion of the ring portion of the fitting and passes through the base portion 24 of the fitting at a side opposite from the drain opening 25. After passing through the first base portion the vent conduit 32 extends at right angles to the drain conduit 33 and is parallel with the base portion 24. Connected with the drain opening 25 is a drain conduit 33 which is directed downwardly from the base portion 24. Surrounding the ring portion 26 and attached to the lower part thereof is the seepage collection trough 34. This trough comprises a base portion having the rim 36 therearound and having the bosses 37 thereunder, which bosses are tapped and threaded to receive bolts to hold a clamping ring 38, shown in FIG. 4. The bolts 39 pass through the ring 38 and are received in and held by the tapped openings in the bosses 37. The seepage trough 34 has two drainage openings 48 through the ring portion 26 to allow water collected therein to flow into the drain opening 25.

The drain fitting 23 is connected to the main drain 4t), as shown in FIG. 2, the drain conduit 33 being connected to a standard one-half S trap 41, which in turn is connected to the lower branch of a standard single upright Y branch 42, the upper branch being connected to the vent conduit 32, as shown in FIG. 2. All of these connections are made by the usual bell and spigot joint which is packed with oakum and leaded. The vent conduit 32, as shown in FIG. 4, has a bell joint 44 on the upper end thereof, although this joint may be threaded, if desired, to receive the upper vent pipe 43, which passes upwardly through the shower column 20, and is usually vented through the roof or a partition.

The flooring is poured to the level 45, shown in FIG. 4, an apron 46 is then laid over the surface of this fioor to any desired width. This apron is usually made of lead, but may be made of a plastic. The apron is then passed into the seepage collection trough 34 and held in place by the clamping ring 38. The floor is then repoured to the level 47, as shown in FIG. 4.

The supply pipes 50 and 51 pass upwardly through the openings 31 and 30 in the upstanding boss 28 in the center of the drain fitting. These supply pipes are connected to the manifold and then the control valves 52 and 53, on the shower column, by means of the opening 54 near the base of the shower column 20.

The shower column 20 is held in position on the machined upper surface 22 of the drain fitting by means of the bolts 55 passing through the fiange 56 on the base of the shower column, which bolts 55 are received in the threaded openings 27 in the drain lifting 23.

The water from the floor surface 47 drains through openings 57 adjacent to the fiange 56 at the base of the column. This allows the water to enter the drain opening 25 and pass downwardly to the drain conduit 33 into the standard one-half S trap 4l and pass outwardly to the main drain 40. This drain is vented through the standard single upright Y branch 42 to the vent conduit 32 through its upper connection 44 to the upper vent pipe 43.

It is essential for drain ttings for column showers that the entire fitting be retained within the iiooring having a standard thickness, that is, the drain 4t) should be as close as possible to the base portion 24 of the drain fitting. The present device maintains these units in the closest possible relationship one to the other and only two fittings are necessary with the essential downwardly projecting drain conduit having a vent conduit at right angles thereto. It is a distinct advantage in making the supply pipe connection within the column shower that both supply pipes be on the same side of the vent pipe. This permits having only one opening 54 near the base of the column for access to both supply pipes.

The modification shown in FIGURES 5, 6 and 7 has vertically rising vent 60', shown in FIG. 5, the supply pipes 61 and 62, all as shown in the first modification. The drain fitting 63 has the upstanding central substantially annular boss portion 64 with the necessary tapped openings 65 therein to receive and hold the shower column 66, as shown in the first modification. The seepage trough 67 and clamping ring 68 are also arranged, as shown in the first modification. The drain fitting has a drain opening 69 therethrough and the vent opening 70 therethrough. The vent pipe boss 60 extends upwardly towards the center of the shower column, as shown in FIGS. 5, 6 and 7.

The drain pipe boss 75 connected to the drain opening 69 slopes downwardly and away from the vertical as shown in FIG. 7. The vent pipe 76 extends vertically downwardly from the drain fitting and is connected to the vent opening 70.

This permits the assembly, as shown in FIG. 5, wherein the drain pipe boss 75 is connected to the standard 1/s bend 77. This in turn is connected to the standard P trap 78. This trap is connected to the standard combination Y and 1/8 bend '79. The upstanding leg of the Y tting 79 is attached to the downwardly extending vent pipe boss 76 all as shown in FIG. 5.

Due to the downwardly extending vent pipe boss 76 and the angling drain pipe boss 75 it is possible and very advantageous to pre-assemble in the flooring the drain assembly 79, 78 and 77 and pack these joints permanently. Then the drain fitting 63 may be assembled thereon. The supply pipes may be passed up through this drain iitting and the column shower mounted, after the flooring has been poured. This is an unexpected assembly advantage of the device of the present application where at least one of the vents and drain pipes extend vertically downwardly, over those devices having both the vent and the drain pipe angling away from the vertical. Such devices require pre-assembly of the drain tting with all of the other fittings below the fioor level prior to the packing and leading of any of the joints, which required the working of these joints in a position with limited access thereto.

Both the first modification, which shows the drain pipe extending vertically downwardly and the second modification which shows the vent pipe extending vertically downwardly have at least one of the vent and drain pipes extending vertically downwardly from the under side of the drain fitting.

While in accordance with the provisions of the statutes there have been illustrated and described the best form of embodiment of this invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that changes may be made in the form of the apparatus disclosed without departing from the spirit of this invention, as set forth in the appended claims, and in some cases certain features of this invention may be used to advantage `without the corresponding use of other features.

What is claimed is:

In a drain, vent and supply fitting for a column shower, the combination comprising:

(a) a iioor-like base having a drain opening therethrough, a vent opening, at least one supply opening, each of said openings being separate from the other;

(b) a drain pipe integral with said base and cornmunicating at its upper end with said drain opening;

(c) a vent pipe integral with said base and communieating with the vent openings at its upper end and extending below said base;

(d) at least one of said drain pipe and said vent pipe extending vertically downward before said base; and

(e) the other of said drain and said vent pipes angling away from the vertically extending pipe, thereby allowing connecting piping to be preassembled in the flooring and to be packed permanently before the drain fitting is assembled thereto.

2. A drain as claimed in claim 1, which said drain pipe is surrounded by a seepage collection trough, said trough having a clamping ring therein to receive between the trough and said ring an apron.

3. IIn a drain, vent and supply fitting for a column shower, the combination comprising:

(a) a floor-like base having a drain opening therethrough, a vent opening, supply openings, each Of said openings being separate from the other;

(b) a drain pipe integral with said base and communicating at its upper end with said drain opening, said drain pipe angling away from the vertical and (d) and supply pipes passing through said supply ,l

openings and extending above said base, thereby allowing connecting piping to be preassembled in the ooring and to lbe packed permanently before the drain fitting is assembled thereto.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 4/ 1926 Schlesinger et a1 4-191 9/1931 Mullett et a1 4-145 Mullett 4-145 Heine et al. 4 167 Svrsky 4-146 -Mullett et al 4-191 Morris 4-145 Morris 4-145 Gerow et al. 4-145 Logan et al 4-145 Booker et al 4-145 FOREIGN PATENTS 549,787 12/1957 Canada.

15 LAVERNE D. GEIGER, Primary Examiner D. B. MASSENBERG, Assistant Examiner 

